Thank you to all those who entered the 2019 contest! Stay-tuned for our 2020 dates!
In celebration of Endangered Species Day (May 17, 2019) Roger Williams Park Zoo is accepting art entries from local K-12 grade students and homeschoolers in the New England area depicting threatened/endangered species. Endangered Species Day is an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of protecting endangered species, their habitats, and learn what we can do to help protect them.
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The Zoo's 2nd annual art contest received over 220 art submissions from talented local students from all across New England! Each child detailed the importance of saving endangered/threatened species and a passion for conserving wildlife. A huge round of applause to everyone who submitted! Check out the winning artwork displayed in the Zoo's Hasbro's Our Big Backyard.
2019 Grand Prize Winner:
Why is saving this species important to you? Pangolins are one of the most trafficked mammals in the world, yet nobody knows about them. According to WildAid.org, over 100,000 pangolins are poached from the wild, and the number living in the wild is dwindling. The beautiful, large scales that cover their bodies are the reason for poaching; they have been used in many traditional medicines in both Asia and in Africa. Pangolins are classified as an endangered species, and the only way to stop them from becoming extinct is by raising awareness of their existence.
2019 Winning Entries by Grade Category:
Why is saving this species important to you? It is important to save Amur Leopard because it will keep the food chain balanced.
Why is saving this species important to you? We should protect Atelopus varius and any endangered species because they are all important to the food chain. Because if an animal becomes extinct, then the food chain will be unbalanced. If the food chain is unbalanced, everything will be chaos, that is why we have to protect endangered animals.
Why is saving this species important to you? Saving the American Burying Beetle is important to me because Rhode Island is one of the few states that this species still survives in. They are decomposers of dead plants and animals which is very helpful to the ecosystem. They also feed on fly eggs and larvae which keeps the fly population down.
Why is saving this species important to you? Amur Leopards are now classified as a critically endangered species, and this is largely caused by humans. They are commonly the victims of poaching by humans for their pelts. It is important that we recognize that humans have had a major role in the endangerment of this animal. With less than 100 amur leopards left, it is crucial that we take action to save this species
Grade Category Semi-finalists:
Why is saving this species important to you? It’s important to not use their fur because they are almost going to be extinct. I don’t want them to get hurt and die. It’s important to not kill animals. I love to watch red pandas and I feel happy when they are around.
Why is saving this species important to you? I think saving chimpanzees is important because they can teach us a lot of things. They are also very nice animals if you are nice to them. If you do not harm them they won't harm you!
Why is saving this species important to you? Saving all endangered animals is important to our environment. With over 100 types of marsupials, tree kangaroos are one of the most endangered. The Matschie Tree kangaroo is endangered because people are cutting down the trees they live in and also hunting them for food and for their fur. If we want a healthy environment we need to protect all wildlife and their habitats. I also think they are really cute!
Why is saving this species important to you? The call of the indri reverberated in my soul when I first heard it through the perspective of the BBC series Planet Earth II (which, when I discovered it, I watched rather obsessively). I saw from a screen the indri’s sharp and expressive stare, rich with the colors of the place it calls home, and its eyes spoke to me more deeply than any human word ever could. The local people of Madagascar say that the indri are our brothers, and their call is so haunting because it reminds us that we once depended on the forest, too, and that one day we must return to the world we have abandoned.
Thank you again to everyone who entered and congratulations to the winning artists! We look forward to next year's Art Contest for even more talented submissions.
In celebration of Endangered Species Day, Roger Williams Park Zoo, hosted its first ever Endangered Species Youth Art Contest in 2018. The Zoo received over 150 art submissions from talented local students from all across New England! Each child detailed the importance of saving endangered/threatened species and a passion for conserving wildlife. A huge round of applause to everyone who submitted! Check out the winning artwork displayed in the Zoo's Hasbro's Our Big Backyard.
2018 Winning Entries by Grade Category:
2018 Grade Category Semi-finalists:
Thank you again to everyone who entered and congratulations to the winning artists! We look forward to next year's Art Contest for even more talented submissions.